Last summer, Congress cut $187 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s main hunger alleviation program. This drastic funding cut is forcing states to pay a larger share of SNAP costs for the first time in the program’s history — costs many of them cannot afford.
If states can’t make up these costs, they may be forced to reduce benefits or kick children and families off of the program.
New data shows that more than 3 million people — including children — had lost access to SNAP by the beginning of 2026.
The situation is so urgent that governors from all 50 states came together to ask Congress to delay this change.
The House of Representatives is set to consider the Farm Bill this week. This legislation historically has covered SNAP and is the appropriate vehicle for Congress to protect the program by including a delay in the cost shift.
But the bill does NOTHING to address the looming SNAP crisis.